Saturday Adventures

Last Saturday, D and I went on another trek for a signing. This time, it was for Tim Brown (Mr Raider) who was appearing at the grand opening of the Sports Pit at Harrah's Rincon Casino. We headed up Saturday morning. We had brunch at the buffet at Harrah's...after all, what would a trip to the casino be without a stop at a buffet?!? Then, we walked over to the Sports Pit. It's a pretty cool place and there weren't many people there. We both got photos with Tim Brown. He was a pretty cool man...


D and Tim


Tim and I

After hanging out for a while, we left and headed towards Escondido. We were going to pick up some carne from Kennedy's Karne Asada. Kennedy's is an institution in the Imperial Valley that has opened in Escondido. Their meat is so good! Before we hit Kennedy's, we saw a sign for a new housing development, Eureka Springs. We decided to take a look. We loved the biggest and smallest...they had great floor plans and amenities that we really liked. When we were looking, we came across a model that had dual closets in the master bedroom. I pointed to one and said that it was mine and the other would be his...D, in all seriousness, said that his was smaller. I cracked up at his wanting the larger closet...I think I've created a monster by helping him refine his personal style! Walking through these gorgeous homes were serious motivation for us. We were so excited at the prospect of buying a house and wished that we could move in there. It renewed our focus and desire to get our act together so that we can move into our own home.

The rest of the evening was spent getting ready for our busy Sunday...more to come!

End of the Week Thoughts and Musings!

So, there is not much exciting going on right now. Which, for once, is a nice thing. Since I am leading a non-exciting normal life this week, I thought I'd share some random thoughts swirling around this head of mine...

• Current Jay Oh Bee: Today, it's just me and one of the Nastys. In fact, she is probably the one with the most animosity toward me. I have lots of jobs closing and testing to be done, so the days are going quickly.
• Prospective Jay Oh Bee: I interviewed on Wednesday and thought it went well. They asked questions about my leadership style and asked for examples of my experience. One of the questions was about my experience giving presentations...I told them about one I did for professional growth. As I answered the question, they all looked at each other and mentioned that was a great idea and that they should do one similar. Since leaving the interview, I jump every time my phone rings and can't stop thinking about it. This position would take me to the next step in my career and could take me so many other places, which would be a great advantage of working for a larger organization. Plus, they are on the same retirement system as I have been part of for the past 11 years, so my retirement potential could keep growing. (Oh my...that sounded like something my mom or other adult would say to me....could it be that I am growing up?!?) So, I wait to hear one way or another...I'll keep you posted.
• D: He is getting ready to jump head-on into the intensive study world for his CPA. We've talked a lot about this and the short term sacrifices (study time, classes) versus long term benefits (better job opportunities and growth). In the end, it's ultimately the best thing for him career wise. He's applied to the California Board of Accountancy and now just needs to set up his study session schedule. So, within a year, he should have his CPA.
• Mom and Meema: I got to see them last night. They are cleaning fiends right now and even bought the deluxe shredder to assist them with their tasks. Mom started the remodeling process for her bathroom this week. She is so excited to get this done. It's funny when she talks about her choices because she always tells D and I that they are not trendy choices. She is keeping them timeless and elegant so when we get the house we won't have trouble either living in it, renting it out or selling it. D and I don't care what she does to it...we're not counting the days until it's ours.
• DVR/TV Viewing: So, after much debate, I've finally officially come to the conclusion that I am basically 30-something going on 16. Or, at least, that's how it would look if you checked our scheduled recordings on the DVR. In no particular order, I DVR 90210 (I still love the original...this one is mindless entertainment), Privileged, One Tree Hill, Jon and Kate plus 8, The Hills, Ugly Betty, The Office, and Dirty Sexy Money. I don't totally hog the DVR because I do let D record The Terminator Sarah Connor Chronicles. And speaking of my 16 year old TV habits, don't be fooled by D saying that it is garbage. He protests that I watch them, but then always wants to know what's happening.

So, that's a lot of things in my head...I'm sure there is so much more, but I don't want to overwhelm. Have a great weekend!

Updates on Life!

Happy Monday! It's been a relatively mellow week for me. There's things happening, but nothing too exciting.

Jay Oh Bee: As expected, the retaliation happened. It's been in subtle bitchy ways, but it's been easier to handle considering I knew it was coming. Also, I got a call on Friday regarding a position I applied for months ago. I have an interview on Wednesday afternoon. I'm excited at this opportunity...D asked if I was nervous or excited about it. To be honest, I get a little nervous during interviews (as evidenced by the blotchy neck), but I think I get more scared about actually getting the job. The whole confidence factor comes into play. We'll see what happens...if it's meant to be, it will all work out!

Life: We've been busy running around...we've been completing our Wusthof knife set thanks to a late wedding gift. We are now only missing the steak knives thanks to many sales and promotions happening during our shopping sessions. Baseball season is coming to an end, which means the autograph chasing is also coming to an end. We went to a Jake Peavy signing on Saturday. It's fun to go, but it gets a little old to stand in line for at least an hour waiting. After all, how many items signed by one player do we really need?!? I joke with one of our friends that we are going to have an Adrian Gonzalez bathroom...wallpapered with all the signed baseball cards and photos with a baseball bat towel rack. Hope my friends don't mind using the restroom while a baseball player stares at you...haha!

Babies: This seems to be a recurring theme lately...it started with Baby E's visit, then on Friday, my coworker in another department brought her 7 month old daughter in. Then, on Saturday, we hung out with our friends, John and Angela and their two daughters, Madelyn (4 months) and Brianna (2 years old). While we waited in line for Jake Peavy, I kept Brianna entertained...or should I say, she kept me entertained. I apologized for teaching her "Cheers", but we had quite the fun time and bonded. When she wanted to hold her mommy's full hands and didn't want daddy...she settled for me. For not being a "kid" person for so long, suddenly, I am into it. It will probably be another year before we think about trying, but it's becoming evident that I've been bitten by the bug.

News: It was sad to watch the news this weekend and see all the devastation brought by Ike. Also, for some reason, I was very interested in the Metrolink train crash in LA. I spent time reading about it and listening to the news about it. I think it just showed how the simple things we do in life (boarding a train to go home) can turn into tragedy. If you can, take a moment and remember those affected by events like this.

Well, the boss is out this morning and I've been less than productive. Have a great week!

Triumph of Good Over Evil!

So, the original title of this post was going to be "Payback is a Bitch", but I decided that would be me allowing the Nastys to win. Last week, Nice CW and I went into the boss' office and told him the latest issues we have been having. Things like eyes rolled when we ask questions or tell them that someone is there to see them; showing up 10-15 minutes late EVERY day or leaving 20-30 minutes early when the boss is gone; and so many other things. The boss was not too interested in what we had to say and tried to pass it off as "personality conflicts", but we persisted with concrete examples. He told us that he would mention it at our weekly staff meeting without directly referencing our conversation.

This morning was our staff meeting and he laid it out. He told people that they need to adhere to their work hours...if you're supposed to be here at 7:30 then do it and if you're supposed to work until 5:00 then do that. Then, he reminded us to be respectful and courteous to our customers and each other (duh). The look on the Nastys faces were priceless! While I have no doubt that this will bring serious repercussions from them, I feel like I won a small battle today. My Nice CW and I have grabbed our power and what we will tolerate back...it feels really good!

BTW...the matchy matchy slide show is up on the photographer's blog. If you want to see more, email me and I'll send you the link. I don't want to post it since it has our family name on it. Surprisingly, we look really good and I like the pictures!

Twenty Questions...How Well Do I Know My Spouse?

I saw this on Amanda's blog and it looked fun...here are my 20 questions about my spouse, D.

1. They are watching TV….. What are they watching? Baseball, golf or something I'm watching that he pretends to not be interested in.
2. You're out to eat...what kind of dressing do they get on their salad? Ranch and will usually pick the tomatoes off my salad.
3. What's one food this person doesn't like? Popcorn...he worked at a movie theater as a teenager and can't even stand the smell.
4. You go out for a drink. He/she orders…Alcoholic: Depends on his mood, can be beer, rum and coke or dirty martini on the rocks. Non: Diet coke
5. Where did he/she go to high school? Central Union High School in the beautiful city of El Centro, California
6. What size shoe do they wear? 8.5 or 9 depending on the shoes
7. If this person were to collect anything, it would be? He collects sports memorabilia...it's not a collection, it's an addiction!
8. What is their favorite type of car? His dream car is a BMW M5
9. This person could eat __________ everyday? Eggs...he loves breakfast anytime of the day.
10. Favorite cereal? We don't really eat cereal, so I'm not sure
11. This person wouldn't be caught dead wearing… Pink
12. Favorite sports team? San Diego Padres and Oakland Raiders
13. Who will he/she vote for? He doesn't vote
14. What is their sign? Pisces
15. What is something you do that he wishes you didn't do? Be so indecisive...he hates when I won't make a decision on where to go for dinner
16. How many states has this person lived in? Just California
17. What is his heritage? Filipino
18. You bake them a cake for their birthday….What kind do they want? D is not a sweets person, but he would be happy with flan or tres leches (both of which I can't stand)
19. Did he/she play sports in high school? No, he was in the marching band
20. This person could spend hours….surfing the Internet

This was fun...

Matchy Matchy and Other Weekend Tales

First of all, can I just tell you how wiped out I am?!? It was a busy weekend full of the range of emotions that can only be evoked by family...happy, sad, angry, excited, frustrated...I experienced the full gamut and felt like a manic person by last night. It was all I could do to pull myself off the couch last night and go to bed...that's how wiped out physically and emotionally I feel!

Friday: D and I headed up to Mom's to help with the early party prep. Kathy came over and helped also...she has been quite the help and support to Mom over the past few months. She is a great friend and has been indoctrinated into this crazy dynamic. Meema's contribution to the evening was dinner (I had to pick it up) of carnitas and chicken from Northside Market. Such good (and inexpensive) authentic Mexican food. Finally, around 9:00, D and I headed home to get ready for Saturday. I decided to be productive and get all our matchy matchy ironed and hung ready for us to go.

Saturday: D and I went to another Adrian Gonzalez signing. We had fun hanging out with our friend, Richard for a few hours. We grabbed some lunch before heading home for a quick nap and getting ready. Drove the new car (no one noticed...they even rode in it) to The Banking Mogul's for join up before heading to Balboa Park. Family pictures went well...we saw another family dressed in khaki bottoms and white tops...we were sure that our army could take them down without a problem. Here are some pictures that we took with my camera...and yes, our family is this small!


D and I...now known as Muffy and Ted who are ready to join the country club!


The Men of the Family...


The Women of the Family...


Meema (aka GGMa) with her grandkids (I'm the age-wise middle grandchild and the only girl) and great grandchild

After family pictures, we headed to Ruth's for dinner in our navy and khaki. Andy, our bartender friend, kept teasing us and calling us Team E...he got quite the kick out of it and it made us all laugh. Todd, Christine and Baby E made an early exit before dinner (not sure why). We ate dinner at the table next to the defensive line for the San Diego Chargers which included Quentin Jammer and Jacques Cesaire. It was Jacques' birthday also...we tried to get him to take a photo with Meema, but he wasn't having any part of it. Following dinner, D and I met "our child" Steve downtown. We hung out at the Tilted Kilt and East Village Tavern and Bowl for a while before heading home for some sleep.

Sunday: We headed up to Mom's around 10:00 and started getting ready for the party. The boys got the tables all set while I helped Mom get food done and the house cleaned up. Around 1:00, the rest of the family showed...I finally got some time with Baby E. I immediately fell for him...and it seriously awoke my mommy instincts.


Me (sans makeup) and Baby E

The family dynamic started and it was hellish at times that day. At one point early on, I had to go pick some things up for the party. I told Mom that I was leaving and wouldn't be back. Plus, I said things to Meema (with expletives) that should not be said to my 87 year old grandma. D kept telling me to relax and have fun. I tried, but it was difficult to bust my behind all day without credit. In the end, the party was fun and the food was phenomenal. Thanks to the excess of food, I won't need to cook much this week. The boys and I finally got home around 10:30pm where we crashed pretty quickly.

Monday: D and I were hoping for us time...wrong! Steve's flight back to New York did not leave until 9pm, so we got to entertain him for most of the day. He took us to dim sum at Jasmine (it was okay, but we were still hungry) and then we made a Yogurt World stop. We then went to Fry's (yuck), Target and Ross in search of a bag for Steve to take his extra stuff back home. I took a 3 hour nap in the late afternoon before we at barbecue. Steve left for the airport around 7:30. At that point, D and I got to take a breath...but it was a quick one...it's the close week for D, so it will be another busy few days for us.

All in all, the weekend was good. As I said before, I experienced a full range of emotions courtesy of my family. I owe D an huge apology for snapping at him (which I did under stress) and I also owe him so much love and gratitude for loving me in spite of this crazy family dynamic...he found out some information that makes me feel justified in my attitude and feelings (to be shared at another time). I also owe Baby E a big thanks...I knew I wanted to be a mom someday, but he cemented that feeling in me. I owe Mom a lot of gratitude and love for all she does and what she did this weekend without the gratitude of others. I realized this weekend that we need to take care of each other and not worry about the rest of the family. I owe my wacky crazy jerky dynamic of a family thanks...for being the army of navy and khaki that has drama, but still is a family. And most importantly, I owe myself some slack...for most of my life, I've internalized my (perceived) inadequacies and allowed that to make me feel less than I am. I have accomplished a lot in my life...I may not have the house or family yet, but I've done well. I only have to live up to my own standards and not those of others around me.